This website contains Best Management Practices for lawn care that will help protect our environment while producing a healthy lawn.

Our drinking water comes from an aquifer and we must do all we can do to protect it from nitrogen and other contaminants.

A local law was adopted prohibiting fertilizer applications to lawns between November 1st and April 1st which is when the potential for runoff and leaching is greatest.

Many homeowners have recognized the benefits of having a lawn, especially the increased aesthetic and property value that a healthy lawn can bring to the landscape. When managed properly, lawns also have many functional and environmental benefits including reducing soil erosion, increasing water infiltration, decreasing stormwater runoff, and increasing soil organic matter. Additionally, lawns capture carbon, cool temperatures and provide a nice recreational area for all to enjoy.

However, when managed improperly the turf may thin, which will likely cause soil erosion and runoff and may increase the need for pest management products.

Most importantly, when lawn care materials, such as fertilizers and pest management materials, are improperly applied they may have a negative impact on our lawns and harm our drinking water and surface waters.

To protect our water Suffolk County encourages reducing lawn fertilizer use. When fertilizing lawns be sure to fertilize properly, at the correct rate, and at the right time of year.